Thank you BookishFirst, author Ladee Hubbard and her publishing company for providing this book for me to review. I received an uncorrected proof so the final novel may differ slightly from this review:
The book covers so many topics that are deep, controversial, unsettling, and still relevant in the present day. Racism, sexism, and classism are still problems that we are fighting about. Despite being a fictional story and takes place in the early 1900's, the themes and conflicts feel real. It also shows that these issues have not been resolved and the need for equality is stronger than ever. After reading this book, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the historical context of racism in America and gained a stronger motivation to fight for social justice. I can see this book recommended for book clubs for the variety of topics and the discussions it would elicit.
Based on the whole story, I thought the blurb was misleading because the book isn't all about August Sitwell. The second half of the book was focused around Jennie Williams and the blurb made her seem insignificant. She plays a big role and should be mentioned more. Also the book didn't use the name August: it always referred to that character as Mr. Sitwell or the Rib King. The blurb should follow that naming for consistency.
As for the story, I was very invested and attached to the Barclay family's household staff and especially to the three new orphan boys (Bart, Frederick, and Mac). I enjoyed reading this part of the story the most because the orphans got into so many dangerous situations, it kept me reading on to find out more. Then when the story reached the turning point where Mr. Sitwell enacts his revenge, it isn't until much later in the book did we find out why he did it, what actually happened, and what was the result of it. I feel like it didn't have to be dragged out that long since it was the main plot of this book. And when the action happened and the explanations were given, they were provided so fast. I felt like the ending was rushed and the closure was so abrupt.
I still enjoyed reading the story and I can't wait to see what others think about it!
The book covers so many topics that are deep, controversial, unsettling, and still relevant in the present day. Racism, sexism, and classism are still problems that we are fighting about. Despite being a fictional story and takes place in the early 1900's, the themes and conflicts feel real. It also shows that these issues have not been resolved and the need for equality is stronger than ever. After reading this book, I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the historical context of racism in America and gained a stronger motivation to fight for social justice. I can see this book recommended for book clubs for the variety of topics and the discussions it would elicit.
Based on the whole story, I thought the blurb was misleading because the book isn't all about August Sitwell. The second half of the book was focused around Jennie Williams and the blurb made her seem insignificant. She plays a big role and should be mentioned more. Also the book didn't use the name August: it always referred to that character as Mr. Sitwell or the Rib King. The blurb should follow that naming for consistency.
As for the story, I was very invested and attached to the Barclay family's household staff and especially to the three new orphan boys (Bart, Frederick, and Mac). I enjoyed reading this part of the story the most because the orphans got into so many dangerous situations, it kept me reading on to find out more. Then when the story reached the turning point where Mr. Sitwell enacts his revenge, it isn't until much later in the book did we find out why he did it, what actually happened, and what was the result of it. I feel like it didn't have to be dragged out that long since it was the main plot of this book. And when the action happened and the explanations were given, they were provided so fast. I felt like the ending was rushed and the closure was so abrupt.
I still enjoyed reading the story and I can't wait to see what others think about it!